EXPERIENCES | Days of Arabic luxury at Six Senses Zighy Bay Resort, Oman

Since Lonely Planet included Oman in their last year’s Best in Travel 2017, the country has become one of the most demanded travel destinations in the Middle East. However, it was not yet when we decided to go there, back in the summer of 2016. 

The Sultanate has been experiencing wonderful times when it comes to tourism, boosting the economy of the country, which does not depend on oil as much as its closer neighbours. The past couple of years brought to Oman several international hotel chains, opening hotels and resorts throughout the country, from which some belong to luxurious brands as Anantara and Six Senses. 

Are you asking yourself whether you really understood the title? Well, it is true. We had a blast for a couple of days and guess what? It did not cost half of the price it does today. Welcome to Six Senses Zighy Bay Resort!

Six Senses Zighy Bay Resort in the peninsula of Musandam, Oman

Six Senses decided to explore the remote Musandam peninsula, sometimes also referred to as the Norway of the Middle East, due to its fjords. Located in Zighy Bay, it is easier to reach from Dubai than from Muscat, or even Khasab – also in the peninsula. It takes roughly two hours to get there from Dubai International Airport (DXB). The road is pretty scenic, driving all the way through the sand dunes of the desert, before reaching Fujairah and the closer mountains. As the border between both nations stays behind, the concrete road suddenly turns into a gravel one. This has to be a different country, for sure!

The SUV makes it second stop after nearly 10 to 15 minutes of a bumpy ride in a rough terrain. It is the gateway to heaven. In a wood tablet, it is clearly written, below six dots, “Six Senses Zighy Bay”. The adventure in Musandam had barely began and we could not get tired of those superb mountains. A couple of minutes later, for the first time, there it was. The resort was right there!

It was August and temperatures were always above 40ºC. On the one hand, the sun was shinning and the bright blue sky reflected the turquoise colour of the sea. On the other hand, the sun fled early in the afternoon behind the dramatic mountains surrounding the bay.

The 82 villas, either beachfront or in the second or third rows to the beach, provide space, simplicity and a private pool, which are Six Senses Zighy Bay’s welcoming comfort miles away from home. Each guest or villa is assigned a GEM – Guest Experience Maker –, whose role is to be the guest’s full time support, for instance, booking activities or ordering special requests. Sherif was ours and he managed to make our stay even more relaxing and enjoyable!

In addition, for foodies, Six Senses Zighy Bay Resort cannot be disappointing in any way. Quality food is served from breakfast to dinner in the hotel’s multiple restaurants. Moreover, the resort provides a sensational experience at Sense On The Edge, a signature restaurant with a view towards the fjords and the bay.

Sense On The Edge restaurant

To sum up, within a couple of years, we will look back and still regard those days as an experience of a lifetime. Arriving at Six Senses already feels unusual. They promise us a sixth sense, which must be discovered through each guests’ perception and we actually end up finding it.

It does not matter how many days we spend there: returning and staying forever seems an option we cannot get out of our minds!

MG; MG